Aircraft are commonly towed by ground vehicles, such as tugs, to maneuver in tight spaces. For example, aircraft tow operators may use a tug to maneuver an aircraft to or from a hangar, or to back an aircraft away from a terminal. Aircraft tow operators are sometimes faced with the difficult task of moving aircraft in areas where the potential exists for collisions with other aircraft and ground structures/objects/buildings. These collisions occur on occasion, and there is a high cost of repair associated with damage to the aircraft and any object involved in the collision. Conventional aircraft towing operations utilize “wing walker” ground crew to aid, advise, and alert the tow operator of proximity to other objects.
Alerting systems have also been developed to alert the ground and flight crews of pending collisions. Such conventional alerting systems rely on sensors mounted to extremities of the aircraft to provide proximity data. Systems disposed on the extremities of the aircraft, however, typically require some central communication and aircraft power, which may not be available during towing. Furthermore, power and communication cables associated with such conventional alerting systems increase the weight and complexity of the aircraft. Although conventional towing operations and alerting systems are suitable for their intended purpose, the need for improved systems is essentially constant.
As such, it is desirable to provide collision warning devices, controllers, and non-transitory media that alert tow operators of potential collisions while limiting the weight and complexity added to the aircraft. In addition, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.